IL child welfare interns debate heats up; state financial audit released
[August 23, 2025]
By Greg Bishop | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A new law requires the Illinois Department of
Corrections to publish annual data on contraband, substance abuse
treatment, overdoses and medical emergencies inside state prisons.
Supporters say the measure will bring long-overdue transparency to a
system often criticized for secrecy.
John Howard Association Executive Director Jennifer Vollen-Katz
addressed concerns that the data might be used to unfairly target
certain prisons or shift resources unevenly between facilities.
“I think if the data suggests that particular facilities are struggling
more than others to keep contraband out, that is really important
information to have,” said Vollen-Katz. “I wouldn’t consider that to
fall into a category labeled unfairly targeted. What it means is those
facilities would need whatever resources are available to stop
contraband from coming in and to deal with the repercussions of it being
inside their prisons.”
State Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, who supported Senate Bill
2201, dismissed concerns that releasing the data could demoralize
corrections staff or prompt transfers.
“Nobody wants the data more than the staff. The data is only going to
highlight what corrections officers are already telling us. Transparency
is not something our officers are scared of,” he said, adding that
leadership changes at IDOC are needed to improve morale and safety. “The
number one thing you can do to fix morale is get someone in that
position who knows what they’re doing, who is honest and who will use
transparency and data to make good decisions.”
Latoya Hughes was appointed as the acting director of the IDOC in April
2023.
One major point of contention inside the prison system has been how
contraband enters facilities. Some correctional officers have claimed
drugs are being smuggled in through letters soaked in chemicals, leading
to calls for scanned mail systems that block original correspondence.
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Vollen-Katz said there is little evidence to support that approach.
“There were claims from correctional officers that illegal drug use
was rising in the prisons, and we don’t dispute that. On our
monitoring visits, we saw evidence, the smells, the smoke-filled
living units. But we had no data to back it up,” she said. “Staff
reported illnesses and overdoses, and we also heard of incarcerated
individuals needing medical attention. Without data, it’s impossible
to know the scope of the problem, whether it’s increasing, or even
to track it in real time.”
Plummer emphasized that while mail can be a factor, the legislation
is intended to provide a complete picture.
“What’s important is the holistic picture of what’s happening at the
prisons,” Plummer said. “There is not an administration in Illinois
history that has been less transparent or played as many games with
data as the Pritzker administration, and we have seen serious
injuries and deaths because they’re not willing to make the
common-sense reforms other states are making.”
Plummer emphasized that the law will curb political maneuvering
around prison issues.
"The citizens of Illinois deserve transparency and access to data.
With that information, good public policy will follow,” said
Plummer. “It will be much harder for the Pritzker administration or
their legislative allies to play politics when the data clearly
shows that Illinois prisons are more dangerous for both inmates and
corrections officers than almost any other prison system in the
country, with staff assaults at record levels."
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